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Barlat-Laptev War
The Barlat-Laptev War was primarily fought between the Barlat Concordiat and the Laptev Axis from June 27 to July 9, 13 NE. The conflict began when the Laptev Axis, responding to several prior incidents involving Barlat states, declared war on the Barlat Concordiat and launched simultaneous attacks primarily against Barlat members Ish'Cong and Kira's Kingdom. Causes The Laptev Axis cited several incidents as contributing to it's decision to declare war, primarily involving the Barlat states Ish'Kong and Kira's Kingdom. These included: Kiran intervention against Laptev in the Battle at Walpha and later the Battle at Nationalstolz Ishii intervention against Laptev ally Shay during the Agnosian Xenocide The bombing of the Goods Exchange building in Ingen, which Ingenious authorities suspected had been caried out by Ishii nationals, as well as claims that Ish'Cong was uncooperative in the subsequent investigation. Outcome Despite several early Laptev tactical victories, particularly in Britain and at Agnes, Barlat's larger military, superior technology, and greater material resources quickly turned the war in their favor. Ingen's attempt to destroy the Ishii planet Taial failed, though did result in the destruction of the city of Armen. The Laptev fleets advancing on the Kiran capital system Amaterasu were stalled and eventually repelled long before reaching their objective. On Earth, Ingen's dual-pronged invasion of Kiran Britain stalled in Manchester and outside Nottingham, and shortly thereafter it's forces were encircled and forced to surrender. As Laptev's offensive faltered, Barlat launched a counterattack which succeeded in capturing multiple Laptev systems and Ingenious Britain. The war's sudden reversal prompted Laptev to request a ceasefire. Barlat accepted, wishing to avoid a prolonged ground war and occupation on Laptev planets yet largely unwilling to inflict heavy civilian losses through strategic orbital bombardment. Major Battles Battle at Taial Prior to the commencement of the war the investigation into the Goods Exchange Bombing had led Ishii and Ingenious investigators to the town of Armen on the planet Taial. The Ingenious had, accordingly, been graciously permitted by Ish’Cong to bring military assets into the system for the express purposes of furthering the investigation. In fact, the actual reason for the Ingenious presence was not to investigate, but to stage a pre-emptive attack on Ish’Cong. Ingenious agents in Armen assembled a Multi-Stage Planetary Destabilization Device (MSPDD) immediately after violating certain Ishii laws while ‘investigating’. The device’s intended purpose was to bore down through the crust and any planetary shields to the mantle of Taial before detonating an AM warhead with sufficient force to destroy the planet, which was home to almost half the Ishii populace in addition to numerous foreign nationals. However, Ingenious military intelligence had not accounted for the automated defensive systems on Taial, and the MSPDD was stopped far short of the mantle by the Second Shield triggering a premature detonation. The resultant explosion was largely funneled upwards, towards Armen, and downwards, into the Second Shield, along the paths of least resistance. Above the ground the explosion was further contained by regional shields, preventing wide-spread damage. Armen could not be saved, unfortunately, and approximately 870,000 Ishii and foreign nationals died in the explosion and subsequent after-effects. Within moments Ishii planetary and naval defense forces and the small Ingenious investigatory force were engaged in combat in orbit over Taial. The resulting battle would be the first of the ensuing Barlat-Laptev War. The Ingenious forces immediately realized that their attempt to destroy Taial had failed, that they no longer had the resources necessary to destroy the planet now that its defenses were raised, that they were thus incapable of achieving their primary objective and that they were incapable of standing against the military might the Ishii had amassed in their own home system. As such the Ingenious were forced to flee from the area. The Ishii pursued the Ingenious as far as possible, resulting in nearly a quarter of the Ingenious ships being destroyed utterly, with negligible Ishii military losses. Attempts were made by other Axis nations and navies to assault Syai and Taial, but these never made it past the furthest of Ish’Cong’s defensive FTLi perimeters and played no substantive role in the rest of the war. Battle at Agnes Main Article: Battle at Agnes The Agnosian Xenocide had resulted in a major build-up of military forces in the Agnes system comprised primarily of nations that were not belligerent parties in the Xenocide. Most had appeared for the purposes of expressing their support for either Ish’Cong or Shay, including Barlat nations which had turned out to express support for Ishii actions to stop Shayan war crimes against the Agnosians and to criticize the Shayan barbarity and Laptev nations which had turned out to support their Shayan ally and to criticize the Ishii intervention. Additional neutral parties trying to mediate the conflict and part of neither the Axis nor the Concordiat were also present. With the Axis’ declaration of war against the Concordiat Axis forces in Agnes initiated Operation Barlarossa and raised a system-wide FTLi field with the intent to trap Barlat forces in the system long enough to summon enough reinforcements to defeat them. Barlat commanders, unlike their Laptev counter-parts, were keenly aware that, following the favorable conclusion of the Agnosian Xenocide, the successful completion of all strategic objectives in the Agnes system, and the total withdrawal of Shayan forces, the only remaining strategic assets in the system were the military forces of belligerent nations in the Barlat-Laptev War. As such, the Concordiat commanders realized that their only remaining objective was ensuring the survival of their fleets. Likewise, the Axis’ only remaining objective in the system was the destruction of those same Barlat fleets. Perhaps due to the suddenness with which Operation Barlarossa and resulting lack of coordination, communication and organization within the assembled Axis forces the Axis’ attempted envelopment of Barlat forces in Agnes was flawed with multiple routes of egress remaining open. As such several Barlat units, including the entire Ishii contingent, were able to successfully withdraw from the system while some of their comrades staged a rear-guard action, thus foiling the Axis. Battle at Amaterasu Main article: Battle at Amaterasu (Barlat-Laptev War) Shortly following Laptev's declaration of war Ystovian, Regnian, Jamesistani, and Nalydyan fleets attempted to FTL into the Amaterasu System, home to the Kiran capital on Themis, and were intercepted five lightyears from the system's star by the outtermost FTL interdiction shell. Already defended by the Amaterasu Fleet and the First Expeditionary Fleet, the system was further reinforced by the Eighth Expeditionary Fleet as well as fleets from the Stonewall Federation and Jovepenia while the invasion force made its way through the outter FTLi shell. The invading fleets were engaged by elements of the Kiran First Expeditionary Fleet as they made their way through a second FTLi shell two lightyears from Amaterasu, and were ultimately forced to withdraw. Battle of Britain Operation Fool's Errand Battle of New Zealand Operation Downfall